Here is something else: Kayleigh Truong has been playing through a nagging lower leg injury, but reaggravated it against Tennessee. It was remarkable, really. She was in so much pain that she could not run the floor but the game did not stop, and her team played defense at the other end without her for one possession. When they got the ball back and advanced it they passed it to her and she hit a trey, essentially while hopping on one leg. Finally they got the game stopped and got her out of the game.
According to the Gonzaga message board, both she and Maud Huijbens, a 6'3" reserve forward averaging 18 mmg, are either out or not at full strength for their game with us. Huijbens was whacked in the side of the face with an intentional Tennessee foul--she came back to play in the game but perhaps there was a later concussion protocol? As a Zag poster said, "Stanford is another story… without Kayleigh and Maud at 100%, it will not be a fair example of this years team." Neither appeared in their game Monday against Maine. They have a game this afternoon (Thursday) against Stephen Austin in Texas so we will see if either is back.
They also pointed out that Brynna Maxwell is a grad transfer from Utah, where we have faced her before. A solid player from a solid Pac 12 team has helped to reinforce the Zags this year. Maxwell scored 21 against Louisville to give the Zags the win in one of their biggest program victories.
As for defense, MT, Gonzaga seems to me to play mostly a very solid, nothing crazy man defense. They don't do a lot of switching so perhaps they are vulnerable to screening? They also did not seem to sag off nearly as far as our defense is sometimes willing to do, but neither are they ridiculously aggressive a la Texas. They would bring some help when Tennessee penetrated into the paint.
Think about what we would look like with 3 or 4 Hannah Jump quality defenders out there on the floor at the same time. Sound positionally, reasonably athletic, but they lack the length of a South Carolina or the disruption of a Texas. I have not seen them press so far, nor have I seen a zone so far, but I'm limited thus far only to the Tennessee game and perhaps they change their personality depending on the opponent.
According to the Gonzaga message board, both she and Maud Huijbens, a 6'3" reserve forward averaging 18 mmg, are either out or not at full strength for their game with us. Huijbens was whacked in the side of the face with an intentional Tennessee foul--she came back to play in the game but perhaps there was a later concussion protocol? As a Zag poster said, "Stanford is another story… without Kayleigh and Maud at 100%, it will not be a fair example of this years team." Neither appeared in their game Monday against Maine. They have a game this afternoon (Thursday) against Stephen Austin in Texas so we will see if either is back.
They also pointed out that Brynna Maxwell is a grad transfer from Utah, where we have faced her before. A solid player from a solid Pac 12 team has helped to reinforce the Zags this year. Maxwell scored 21 against Louisville to give the Zags the win in one of their biggest program victories.
As for defense, MT, Gonzaga seems to me to play mostly a very solid, nothing crazy man defense. They don't do a lot of switching so perhaps they are vulnerable to screening? They also did not seem to sag off nearly as far as our defense is sometimes willing to do, but neither are they ridiculously aggressive a la Texas. They would bring some help when Tennessee penetrated into the paint.
Think about what we would look like with 3 or 4 Hannah Jump quality defenders out there on the floor at the same time. Sound positionally, reasonably athletic, but they lack the length of a South Carolina or the disruption of a Texas. I have not seen them press so far, nor have I seen a zone so far, but I'm limited thus far only to the Tennessee game and perhaps they change their personality depending on the opponent.